At about 4:30 PM on Thursday October 19, 2017, officers working a paid detail on a movie set in the South End made an onsite arrest after a larceny and a carjacking in the area of Shawmut Avenue and Union Park Street. The officers were flagged down by a witness who was pointing towards a male suspect, later identified as Victor Lee, 52, of Dorchester, while stating that he had just stolen a women’s purse from inside a nearby business. As the officers went to approach the suspect, they observed a large knife in his hand as he turned around and began to advance towards them. An officer drew his firearm as the distance quickly began to close while ordering him to drop his weapon. The suspect then changed direction, knife still in hand, and opened the passenger side door of a stopped motor vehicle and quickly climbed inside. The startled operator was able to exit the vehicle as the officers began to surround it. As an officer approached, the suspect threw his knife out of the window, directly at the officer, narrowly missing him. At this time, the officers sprayed the suspect with pepper spray and were then able to remove him from the car and place him in custody after a violent struggle. Several officers and the suspect were treated on scene for exposure to the pepper spray. The suspect will appear in Boston Municipal Court on charges of Carjacking, Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon and Resisting Arrest. The investigation into the initial larceny remains ongoing at this time.

Said Commissioner Evans, "I want to commend my officers for their bravery and restraint when confronted by an armed suspect. I'm grateful that they're all alright and that they didn't have to resort to deadly force, which clearly looks like it would've been justified based on the circumstances of the impending threat. This incident could've ended very differently for the suspect."